There is so many problems with this I don't even know where to start
- Thread starter callsign4223
- Start date
Yeah, this seems more like a gimmick to get some eyeballs, like the dominos and other ads lately with multi-rotors delivering stuff. Not gonna happen en mass. But...
Amazon has the potential need and wherewithall to making three other ideas happen:
1) Drone (actual drone) air freight: PRedator and even larger size drones used for hops between warehouses and distribution hubs and regional staging points. Maybe electric powered (can use slide in battery packs to do quick turnaround on flights, charging up on low cost excess night energy or solar/wind during the day). But the idea being to establish their own national transport network that cuts out packing into trucks for shipment to airports for traditional air freight. They will take off and land right at their facilties organized such that it is able to go direct into local/regional delivery vehicles or into their warehouse stocking systems, cutting out a lot of middle stage packaging and unpacking and handling. They could make the air freight system more decentralized, using smaller aircraft (but more of them) for more direct routing, all programmed with emergency or flight audit intervention from remote control capability. Could even have different size aircraft. PRedator style longer range larger load planes. Make something with vertical take off, like an osprey, for medium range and runway limited destinations, etc. I think there is a lot of potential here.
2) Intra-warehouse multi-rotor: mega quads moving stuff around warehouse zones or racks, or perhaps between multiple buildings on a amazon shipping campus. OSHA may not allow it since their warehouses are heavily manned and this could be dangerous. Noise issues will also be an obstacle.
3) Suburban delivery to door: I initally wrote this off, but I think it has potential as a niche. Multi-rotor for urban and rural doesn't make sense, but for suburban housing developments and the like, this makes a lot more sense. Range is limited, geography is not laden with tall buildings and other obstacles, fixed number of delivery points allowing for statistical analysis and application of drone coverage, and room to setup hubs for delivery from regional ground transport, or in rare cases for sprawling suburban centers perhaps those mid range VTOL capable osprey like drones in #1. The other part of this delivery method is using reusable weather safe containers for delivery. Suburban areas will allow for setup of efficient "return" of these containers to the drone hub. I don't think this will look like what was in the video with a drone taking a package off a current distribution center line, but I can see them buying up USPS offices and building new facilities to do this on a small scale for suburban areas. Doesn't work where apartment buildings, high rises, barracks and other high density housing is prevalent. They could also lease services to USPS for these suburban areas allowing them to cut staffing and facilities costs big time and focus on urban and rural delivery.
Amazon has the potential need and wherewithall to making three other ideas happen:
1) Drone (actual drone) air freight: PRedator and even larger size drones used for hops between warehouses and distribution hubs and regional staging points. Maybe electric powered (can use slide in battery packs to do quick turnaround on flights, charging up on low cost excess night energy or solar/wind during the day). But the idea being to establish their own national transport network that cuts out packing into trucks for shipment to airports for traditional air freight. They will take off and land right at their facilties organized such that it is able to go direct into local/regional delivery vehicles or into their warehouse stocking systems, cutting out a lot of middle stage packaging and unpacking and handling. They could make the air freight system more decentralized, using smaller aircraft (but more of them) for more direct routing, all programmed with emergency or flight audit intervention from remote control capability. Could even have different size aircraft. PRedator style longer range larger load planes. Make something with vertical take off, like an osprey, for medium range and runway limited destinations, etc. I think there is a lot of potential here.
2) Intra-warehouse multi-rotor: mega quads moving stuff around warehouse zones or racks, or perhaps between multiple buildings on a amazon shipping campus. OSHA may not allow it since their warehouses are heavily manned and this could be dangerous. Noise issues will also be an obstacle.
3) Suburban delivery to door: I initally wrote this off, but I think it has potential as a niche. Multi-rotor for urban and rural doesn't make sense, but for suburban housing developments and the like, this makes a lot more sense. Range is limited, geography is not laden with tall buildings and other obstacles, fixed number of delivery points allowing for statistical analysis and application of drone coverage, and room to setup hubs for delivery from regional ground transport, or in rare cases for sprawling suburban centers perhaps those mid range VTOL capable osprey like drones in #1. The other part of this delivery method is using reusable weather safe containers for delivery. Suburban areas will allow for setup of efficient "return" of these containers to the drone hub. I don't think this will look like what was in the video with a drone taking a package off a current distribution center line, but I can see them buying up USPS offices and building new facilities to do this on a small scale for suburban areas. Doesn't work where apartment buildings, high rises, barracks and other high density housing is prevalent. They could also lease services to USPS for these suburban areas allowing them to cut staffing and facilities costs big time and focus on urban and rural delivery.
callsign4223
Staff member
My initial reaction was like Lee's. They either need ginormous batteries or a warehouse every square mile.
idon'tknow!
rc-help EXPERT.......????
lets say they were able to do it, I see one big problem, Kiddo's perhaps big kiddo's to, might get so inclined as to shoot one down and get it's goodies.
callsign4223
Staff member
Additional dangers of Amazon Prime Air.
Ken Jackson
Active Member
It will never happen!
Ken
Ken